26 February 2024

Share

Gerald M. Kreckow

Gerald M. Kreckow


   Gerald M. Kreckow, 86, of Waupun, formerly of Horicon, passed away on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, at the Waupun Christian Home in Waupun.   Gerald was born the son of Orin and Ruth (Miller) Kreckow in Horicon on April 9, 1937.   He was a 1955 graduate of Horicon High School and then went on to serve his country honorably in the US Army, serving in the 101st Air Born Division in Fort Campbell, KY, and through the Pacific.   After the Army, Gerald worked for Gardner Manufacturing in Horicon and retired after 45 years.   Gerald was also a talented taxidermist.   He was a longtime member of St. Stephen Ev. Lutheran Church in Horicon. Gerald was also a life long member of the Horicon American Legion Post #157.   Gerald is survived by his son, Derek (Cindy) Kreckow of Columbus; grandchildren, Ashley (Shawn) Sinotte of Lomira and Amber (Travis) Basler of Waupun; great-grandchildren, Briella and Savanna. Further survived by other relatives and friends.   He was preceded in death by his parents; and step-sister, Marlene Rupnow.   A private family funeral will take place at St. Stephen Ev. Lutheran Church in Horicon and burial will take place at Oak Hill Cemetery with military honors to be conducted by the Horicon American Legion Post #157.   Memorial may be directed to the Dodge County Humane Society.   Special thanks to SSM Hospice and the staff of the Christian Home in Waupun for the care shown to Gerald and his family.   Koepsell Funeral Home in Horicon is serving the family. www.KoepsellFH.com

Share

Thomas A. Bauer

Thomas A. Bauer


Thomas A. “Tom” Bauer, 71, of Campbellsport, passed away on Friday, February 23, 2024, at Kathy Hospice in the Town of Polk. Tom was born on March 26, 1952, in West Bend, the son of the late Clement and Rita (nee Weyer) Bauer. Tom graduated from West Bend West High School in 1971. He was a special deputy with Washington County after graduation and attended Police Training at Fort McCoy after being hired by the Kewaskum Police Department in 1974. On May 12, 1978, he was united in marriage to Pamela Beisbier at St. Kilian Catholic Church in St. Kilian. Tom worked for the Kewaskum Police Department for 34 years as a Patrolman, DARE Officer, and Firearms Instructor. Tom enjoyed hunting, fishing, and trap shooting. He was a director for the Campbellsport Sportsman’s Club for many years. Those Tom leaves behind to cherish his memory include his wife, Pam; his son, Matthew; a brother, Donald (Lynda); two brothers-in-law, Robert Trester and Phillip (Kathie) Beisbier; a sister-in-law, Katherine (Eric) Lentz; as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. In addition to his parents and grandparents, Tom was preceded in death by a sister, Margaret Trester; an infant brother, Joseph; his parents-in-law, Byron and Beulah Beisbier; and a sister-in-law, Angela Beisbier. CELEBRATION OF LIFE: A celebration of life for Tom will be held at the Myrhum – Patten Funeral Home, 215 Forest Avenue, in Kewaskum on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. The family would like to extend a heartfelt appreciation to the staff at Kathy Hospice for the wonderful care they provided to Tom and his family. The Myrhum - Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Tom's arrangements. Additional information and guest book may be found at www.myrhum-patten.com.
19 February 2024

Share

Donald B. Mayo

Donald B. Mayo


   With a smile on his face and a song in his heart, Don­ald B. Mayo, 90, Hori­con passed away on Feb­ru­ary 18, 2024, with fam­ily at his side.    Don­ald was born Feb­ru­ary 10, 1934, in West Bend, to Cur­tis and Marie (Jaeger) Mayo. He joined brother, Denis, and later wel­comed sis­ter, Kay (Let­ten­berger) to the fam­ily. He was an ac­tive West Bend com­mu­nity mem­ber and an avid four-sport ath­lete in high school. He orig­i­nally at­tended col­lege on an ath­letic schol­ar­ship, then earned his un­der­grad­u­ate de­gree and be­came a proud alum­nus of Mar­quette Uni­ver­sity. Later he at­tended and earned a grad­u­ate de­gree and com­pleted course­work for his dis­ser­ta­tion in Ed­u­ca­tion and Lead­er­ship Pol­icy at the Uni­ver­sity of Wis­con­sin-Madi­son.   On June 16, 1956, he mar­ried Janet K. Roberts, who had been his sweet­heart since eighth grade, be­gin­ning the next phase of his life. Don­ald and Janet raised five chil­dren, An­drea Macheel (Steve), Melissa (Mar­vin Hansen), Melanie Gre­gory (James), Don­ald Jr/m “D.J.” (Chanz Be­lotin­dos) and Patrick (Mindy Bran­den­stein). He was for­tu­nate and thrilled to have 11 grand­chil­dren and 12 great-grand­chil­dren, and to call Ro­tary Ex­change stu­dents, Ernesto Echev­erri and Ok­sana Pouga, his bonus chil­dren.    Don­ald was a pas­sion­ate ed­u­ca­tor with a ca­reer that spanned more than 40 years in pub­lic ed­u­ca­tion as a teacher, coach, and school ad­min­is­tra­tor in Wilton, Janesville, Mar­shall, and Hori­con, re­tir­ing as Dis­trict Ad­min­is­tra­tor of Hori­con School Dis­trict.    Don­ald was also a life­time Ro­tar­ian and was com­mit­ted to its mis­sion of ser­vice to oth­ers. He filled many lead­er­ship roles at local, dis­trict and in­ter­na­tional lev­els. He found his great­est re­ward in the youth ex­change pro­gram, where he com­bined his ad­vo­cacy for youth and com­mit­ment to mul­ti­cul­tur­al­ism by help­ing young peo­ple see the world through the in­bound and out­bound stu­dent ex­change pro­grams sup­port­ing ed­u­ca­tional travel for thou­sands of stu­dents.    Don­ald loved mak­ing peo­ple laugh, lead­ing most con­ver­sa­tions with a joke or pun and tak­ing ad­van­tage of a good Yogi Berra quote. He en­joyed a good brandy Man­hat­tan, and play­ing golf, bridge and rac­quet­ball and al­ways kept a close eye on the Bucks, Pack­ers, Brew­ers, and Golden Ea­gles. But his fa­vorite pas­time was at­tend­ing the many sport­ing and mu­si­cal ac­tiv­i­ties of his fam­ily mem­bers.   A Mass of Chris­t­ian Bur­ial will take place on Mon­day, Feb. 26, at 11 a.m. at Sa­cred Heart Parish in Hori­con with the Rev. Fr. Justin Lop­ina pre­sid­ing. A vis­i­ta­tion will be held on Sun­day, Feb. 25, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Koepsell Fu­neral Home in Hori­con and again on Mon­day, Feb. 26, from 10 a.m. until the time of the Mass at 11 a.m. In­ter­ment will take place at St. Malachy Ceme­tery in Hori­con.   Re­mem­ber when you come to a fork in the road, take it. Also, no mat­ter where you go, there you are (Yogi Berra).   Memo­ri­als may be di­rected to the Marsh­men Foun­da­tion. Marsh­men Foun­da­tion - Fond du Lac Area Foun­da­tion (fd­lareafoun­da­tion.com) or the char­ity of your choice in mem­ory of Don­ald.   Koepsell Fu­neral Home in Hori­con is serv­ing the fam­ily. www.​KoepsellFH.​com

Share

Audrey LaVerne Belling

Audrey LaVerne Belling


   Au­drey LaV­erne Belling, 90, of Mayville, passed away on Sat­ur­day, Feb. 17, 2024, at Meriter Hos­pi­tal in Madi­son.    Au­drey was born the daugh­ter of Edwin and Ida (Zin­gler) Belling on Jan­u­ary 12, 1934, in the Town of Lomira. She grad­u­ated from Mayville High School in 1951.   Au­drey was a mem­ber of St. Matthew’s Ev. Lutheran Church in Iron Ridge.    Au­drey worked for many years at the Mayville Shoe Fac­tory.   She loved to go shop­ping and play Sheepshead with friends and fam­ily. She also en­joyed re­lax­ing at home watch­ing her fa­vorite tele­vi­sion shows.    Au­drey is sur­vived by her sib­lings, Shirley Well­hoe­fer and Gor­don (Betty) Belling, both of Mayville. Au­drey is fur­ther sur­vived by nieces, nephews, other rel­a­tives, and friends.    Au­drey was pre­ceded in death by her par­ents; her broth­ers, Fre­mont and Gar­land (Sherry) Belling; and brother-in-law, Wilmer Well­hoe­fer.   A fu­neral ser­vice for Au­drey was held on Tues­day, Feb. 20, at 2 p.m. at the Koepsell Fu­neral Home in Mayville with Rev. Larry Mose of­fi­ci­at­ing. Vis­i­ta­tion for Au­drey was held at the fu­neral home on Tues­day, Feb. 20, from 1 p.m. until the time of ser­vice at 2 p.m. In­ter­ment fol­lowed at St. Luke’s Ceme­tery in Knowles.   Koepsell Fu­neral Home in Mayville is car­ing for the fam­ily. www.​Koepsellfh.​com
16 February 2024

Share

Share

Jill A. Rhoads

Jill A. Rhoads


Jill A. Rhoads (nee Harter), 59, of West Bend, found peace after a brief battle with cancer on Tuesday, February 13, 2024. She was born on June 14, 1964, the daughter of Joseph and Janice (nee Kumrow) Harter in West Bend. Jill went to grade school at Holy Angels and graduated from West Bend East High School. On January 8, 1983, she was united in marriage to Paul Rhoads in Kewaskum. She started waitressing and moved on to cooking for many years in the Kewaskum school system, where she loved the kids she served. Jill was a member of the West Bend Moose Lodge. She enjoyed traveling and loved to organize rummage sales. Jill was an amazing person who was always kind and generous. She not only took care of her loved ones, but also helped others in need. She would donate clothes, shoes, and anything else that could make a difference in someone's life. Family meant everything to Jill. She loved spending time with her family, including her grandpups and outdoor kitties. She enjoyed gardening and canning and creating a beautiful space to share with her loved ones. Jill was famous for her baking skills and loved making food for her children and grandchildren, always making sure they were well-fed and loved. Jill had a special talent for picking out gifts. She always knew exactly what someone needed or wanted. She loved seeing the joy on people’s faces when they received her thoughtful gifts. Giving was Jill’s passion. She enjoyed donating to the community and giving gifts to her family just to see them happy. Jill's kindness, love for family, talent for gift-giving, passion for giving back, and contributions to Delightful Desserts will always be remembered. She had a lasting impact on the lives of those she touched and will be deeply missed by everyone who knew her. Those Jill leaves behind to cherish her memory include her husband, Paul Rhoads; three sons, Justin Rhoads, David (fiancée, Kayla) Rhoads, and Scott (Danielle) Rhoads; five grandchildren, Jaydon, Jayce, Brantly, Brystol, Hudson, and special Isabelle; three brothers, Joel Harter, Jason (Kristin) Harter, and Josh Harter; her mother, Janice Harter; mother-in-law, Babette Rhoads; three aunts, Joanne (Dennis) Rank, Mary Kumrow, and Mary Bies; as well as many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends. Jill is preceded in death by her father, Joseph Harter; maternal grandparents, Arnold and Fern Kumrow; paternal grandparents, Aloysius and Bertha Harter; uncle, David Kumrow; and two aunts, Judy Tomko and Barbara (Charles) Stehlik. VISITATION: Jill’s family will greet relatives and friends on Thursday, February 29, 2024, from 2 p.m. until 4:45 p.m. at Peace United Church of Christ, 343 First St., Kewaskum. Please wear purple in memory of Jill. SERVICE: A memorial service will follow the visitation at the church at 5 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name to the Alzheimer’s Association are appreciated. The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at Kathy Hospice for all their help and care, as well as all her coworkers. Myrhum-Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Jill’s arrangements. Additional information and Tribute Wall may be found at www.myrhum-patten.com.

Share

Margery Della “Marge” Weber

Margery Della “Marge” Weber


   Margery Della “Marge” Weber (Olsen), 94, of Mayville, passed away on February 15, 2024, at Aspirus Hospital in Rhinelander surrounded by her loving family.    Marge was born on August 8, 1929, in Catawba in Price County. She was the daughter of Della Baker Olsen and Walter Charles Olsen. Marge graduated from Phillips High School in 1948.   She married Jerome Weber on June 18, 1949. Marge worked 22 years at Briggs & Straton.    Marge liked cooking and did a lot of crocheting, playing cards, and loved to travel.   She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mayville and was a member of the Mayville Senior Center since 1996. Most of all, Marge loved spending time with her family.   Marge is survived by her two sons, Dennis (Donna) Weber of Portland, OR, and Bruce Weber of Eagle River; two grandchildren, Seth Weber of Portland, OR and Caitlin (Justin Higgins) Weber of Portland, OR; two great-grandchildren, Marlowe and Beatrix; and she is further survived by nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.   In addition to her parents, Marge was preceded in death by her husband, Jerome; brother, Robert Olsen; and infant siblings, Jean and Leonard Olsen.   VISITATION: Marge’s family greeted relatives and friends on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 10:30 a.m. until 11:15 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church (112 S. German St. – Mayville, WI 53050).   SERVICE: A Mass of Christian Burial in remembrance of Marge took place at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 11:30 a.m. Father Ed Kornath officiated. Burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Mayville followed the Mass.    The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and the staff at Aspirus Hospital for their care and compassion.   Myrhum-Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Marge’s arrangements. For additional information or to leave an online condolence on the tribute wall, please visit www.myrhum-patten.com.

Share

Ronald A. Malterer

Ronald A. Malterer


   Ronald (Ron) Alvin Malterer, 81, of Iron Ridge passed away February 12, 2024, at the Crossroads Care Center of Mayville after a short battle with Parkinson’s disease.    Ronald was born on April 7, 1942 in Fond du Lac, the son of Alvin and Erna (Bauer) Malterer.   In 1947, Ronald moved with his family from LeRoy to a farm his father purchased in the Township of Hustisford. He attended Woodland Road School, after which he entered farming full time with his father and brother in what came to be known as Malterer Farms. Ronald loved to farm and he enjoyed farming conversations at auctions with his friends and neighbors throughout his life.    Ronald loved to go out dancing, and he met his wife, Jeanne (Rusch) at a dance at Turner Hall in Watertown, and the two were united in marriage on September 3, 1971. Moving to a nearby farm down the road, Ron and Jeanne raised three children and continued to expand their family farm. Along with his brother, Marvin, and father, Alvin, Ronald raised dairy cows, beef steers, a farrow-to-finish hog operation, and cash-cropped. Ronald was never happier than when a tiling crew was in the neighborhood. He could always find a poorly drained field spot that needed a few lines of tile.   Following retirement from milking cows and raising pigs, Ronald began Malterer Land Services and continued his passion for working the earth. He replaced field crop machinery with a scraper, bulldozer, and mini-excavator, so he could grade fields and ditches for area farmers. He loved to work in a field of good ground.   Ronald is survived by his wife, Jeanne, of 52 years; children, Tracy (Matthew Joeckel) Malterer, Christopher (Melissa) Malterer, Adam (Katherine) Malterer; brother, Marvin (Barbara) Malterer; sister, Marlene (Raymond) Kirchner; grandchildren, Cole, Milana, and Cyan Malterer, Nina, Shane, and Sidney Joeckel, Aiden Malterer; many cousins, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.   A Memorial Mass of Christian burial for Ronald took place on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 950 Washington Street, Horicon, WI 53032 with Father Justin Lopina and Father Britto Suresh officiating. Family greeted relatives and friends from 9 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. with Mass at 11 a.m. The family will hold a private inurnment at St. Michael’s Cemetery in the Town of Hubbard at a later date.   The Malterer Family is especially thankful to the nursing staff at Crossroads Care Center of Mayville for their care and compassion.   In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Hustisford FFA Chapter, Hustisford Fire Department, and Iron Ridge Fire Department.    Koepsell Funeral Home in Mayville is serving the family. www.KoepsellFH.com
13 February 2024

Share

Lillian Marie Wondra

Lillian Marie Wondra


   Lillian Marie Wondra (Schneiter), 95, of Mayville was called home to be with the Lord on February 11, 2024, at Prairie Ridge Assisted Living Facility in Mayville surrounded by her loving family.   Lillian was born on May 28, 1928, in the Town of Lomira to Ernst and Hilda Schneiter (Schwartz).   She was united in marriage to Earl Peter Wondra on May 3, 1947, at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Leroy. Earl passed away in 2007; four months before their 60th Wedding Anniversary.   Lillian was a homemaker; she could reuse or recycle anything, and take on any necessary farm duties. She was also an accomplished sewer, quilter, gardener, canner, and baker. Her Schaum Torte was requested for every gathering. Lillian loved her cows, cats and parakeets. She had a passion for perennial gardens, as well as for mowing lawn, and continued mowing on her riding lawn mower until she was 93 years old.    Lillian was a longtime member at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mayville and served on numerous church committees over the years.    Those Lillian leaves behind to cherish her memory include her five children, Gloria Oelke, Barbara (Lynn) Pautsch, Carol (Al) Pater, John Wondra, and Lois (Wayne) Pasbrig; 17 grandchildren, and 32 great-grandchildren. She is further survived by her sister, Georgia Schneiter; two brothers, James and Kenneth Schneiter; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends including her parakeets, Chippy and Dicky.    In addition to her parents, Lillian was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Earl; six brothers, Maynard, Norman, Milford, Orville, Gerald, and Jay; two sisters, Geraldine Zirbel and Donna Mae Stern; granddaughter, Amber Peterson, and sons-in-law, Ludwig Oelke and Michael Posthuma.   VISITATION: Lillian’s family will greet relatives and friends on Saturday, Feb. 17, from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church (112 S German St. – Mayville, WI 53050).   SERVICE: A Mass of Christian Burial in remembrance of Lillian will take place at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Saturday at Noon with Father Ed Kornath officiating. Private family entombment will be at Ledgeview Memorial Park in Fond du Lac.    Memorials in Lillian’s name can be directed to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mayville, St. Vincent DePaul Society, or a charity of your choice.   The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and the loving staff at Prairie Ridge ALF and Generations Hospice for their care and compassion.   Myrhum-Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Lillian’s arrangements. For additional information or to leave an online condolence on the tribute wall, please visit www.myrhum-patten.com.

Share

Walter P. Heinecke

Walter P. Heinecke


   Walter P. Heinecke passed on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, at Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa.    He was born in Allenton, on October 22, 1941, to Christian and Loraine (nee Langenecker) Heinecke. Walt spent his childhood years in Allenton, then Theresa, before moving to the Milwaukee area.   He attended West Bend High School before joining the Army National Guard.   He loved to adventure, enjoyed live music - most recently with a local quartet in New Berlin - and enjoyed being part of a landscaping team, which prepared the Summerfest grounds including the barge. He was close to childhood and adolescent friends who will miss him dearly.   Also left behind to relish his memory and escapades are his brother, Dave (Sandy) Heinecke of Edmond, OK; sister, Phyllis Schaefer of West Bend; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.   Those preceding Walt in death include his mother and father; stepfather, Rudy Heinecke; sister, Ann Weston; and brother, Ron Heinecke.   A memorial gathering and celebration of Walt’s life will take place on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at Myrhum-Patten Funeral & Cremation Service (1315 W. Washington Street, West Bend, WI – 53095) from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. Food and refreshments will be available throughout the gathering, followed by a time for prayer and testimonials. Walt was partial to his purple or blue striped/plaid shirts; wear one in memory of Walt to honor him on this day. A private graveside service for family will be determined for a later date.   Your thoughts and prayers are sincerely appreciated. If you wish to make a donation in his name, select your cherished non-profit. A special thank you to all the doctors, nurses, and caregivers of Froedtert Wauwatosa Hospital’s ICU and ER departments.   Myrhum-Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Walt’s arrangements. Additional information and Tribute Wall can be found at myrhum-patten.com.